For the first time under the Fifth Republic, the return to school will take place without a full minister. An unprecedented situation that is compounded by the ministerial instability of recent months.
After three ministers in one school year – four since Emmanuel Macron’s re-election – the Ministry of Education is preparing for a new school year without anyone in charge, while waiting for a fifth appointment. Nicole Belloubet, who was head of the Ministry of Education for five months, has now resigned, as a result of the results of the early legislative elections. The one who is now sticking to current affairs is nevertheless hosting the traditional back-to-school press conference on Tuesday, August 27, after a meeting with the rectors on Monday. It is “unprecedented under the Fifth Republic”underlines education historian Claude Lelièvre.
Since Pap Ndiaye’s departure in July 2023, three ministers have succeeded one another: Gabriel Attal, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra and Nicole Belloubet. “With these changes, we did not have a long-term vision, structural measures to get the school out of the crisis”denounces Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of the Snes-FSU union. Such a succession of ministers has not occurred since the 1960s. “During the Gaullist period, there were five ministers in two years and 10 months”reports Claude Lelièvre. But there are differences between then and today: “We are increasingly in communication announcements. It was already a guilty pleasure of Jean-Michel Blanquerbut there was at least ministerial stability.”
These ministers have also struggled to convince, when they have not even provoked outright rejection. “The first [Gabriel Attal] first thought of his political career, and it worked since he became Prime Minister. The second [Amélie Oudéa-Castera] was a casting mistake [prise au bout de quelques jours dans une polémique sur l’école privée]The third was a minister of stagnation and did not deal head-on with the problems of National Education.”currycombs Sophie Vénétitay.
The 2023-2024 school year was also marked by multiple reforms. Some were implemented as soon as they were announced, such as the ban on wearing the abaya and the postponement of the baccalaureate specialty exams from March to June. Others will take shape at the start of the school year, including the controversial level groups in 6th and 5th grade for French and mathematics, criticized by the majority of unions, who see it as an unfair sorting of students.
“Last year, we fell into a caricature, where everything was a pretext for a new priority. However, the “Political time is not school time”regrets Bruno Bobkiewicz, general secretary of SNPDEN-Unsa, a union representing heads of establishments. Other projects have so far fallen through due to the dissolution of the National Assembly, such as the reform of teacher training, announced by Nicole Belloubet in mid-July on RMC. This is also the case for the new programs, in maths and French, and the labeling of school textbooks.
Less than a week before the end of the summer holidays, Bruno Bobkiewicz emphasizes that if he resides “a strange atmosphere”the absence of a captain at the head of the National Education ship – 1.2 million agents in total – “has no immediate impact on the preparation for the start of the school year.” He notes that “The broad political guidelines had been decided a few months ago”. They were even ratified by the back-to-school circular published at the end of June. It notably includes the level groups for the first two classes of middle school.
The Secretary General of SNPDEN-Unsa also recalls that, by definition, a return to school is above all “technical”from managing schedules to allocating rooms, in addition to preparing from spring. “The academies, for their part, continue to recruit and disperse teachers across establishments”adds Bruno Bobkiewicz. “We must put the role of the minister into perspective, classes will open, the rectors [à la tête des académies] will make the system work”assures Senator Max Brisson, member of the education committee, questioned by Public Sénat.
“We are in a period of paralysis of government action, not of the administration.”
Max Brisson, LR senatoron Public Senate
As proof, on July 16, Caroline Pascal was appointed new Director General of School Education, replacing Edouard Geffray. This “second minister” is responsible for implementing the educational policy decided by the government. “For the moment, we are ensuring that everything that has already been agreed, arbitrated, validated and published is implemented. We will have to wait for the appointment of a new government to learn more about possible future political orientations.”, she confirmed Friday in the columns of The Express.
This course will therefore not be able to be given by Nicole Belloubet on Tuesday. While the back-to-school press conference usually serves to set the objectives for the school during the coming year, and for its minister to make his mark, “The moment will be special this year with a minister resigning”anticipates Sophie Vénétitay.
“This is normally a very political time, but Gabriel Attal’s government was disavowed at the ballot box. Nicole Belloubet could have stuck to the bare minimum, with the transmission of a press kit for example.”
Sophie Vénétitay, Secretary General of Snes-FSUto franceinfo
But for Claude Lelièvre, “in the traditions of the French school, it cannot deviate from it”.
Two questions remain: when will Nicole Belloubet officially give up her seat and who will succeed her? The resigning minister could still be in charge after September 2. “I may still be in office, but in any case, I am preparing for the start of the school year.”, she declared on RMC in mid-July. A month and a half later, this scenario seems to be confirmed, since Emmanuel Macron has still not appointed a head of government.
For Bruno Bobkiewicz, this moment must not last forever. “We need to know fairly quickly whether certain announcements put aside since the dissolution will be taken up by the future minister. For example, will the brevet become compulsory for moving up to the second year? This is information that we must quickly give to our third year students.”illustrates the representative of the heads of establishment.
The second question mark remains. At the head of the Ministry of National Education, “You need someone who knows the house at least a little bit.”observes Jean-Rémi Girard, president of the Union National High Schools and Colleges Association (SNALC)with the AFP. “It’s not really a question of people, but of budget, of awareness of the issues…” While the profession is already suffering from a “recognition problem”Claude Lelièvre believes that “take into account the elections” could improve the bond of trust between teachers and the institution.